Chain connector



A. P. GRIFFIN.

CHAIN CONNECTOR. APPLICATION FILED APILS. 1922.

1,436,343. Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

Tia Z.- Tt's' 3 AT TORN EY Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

PATENT OFFICE.

;ALBER'I" r. earn-rm, or annoy, :NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To ARROW GRIPMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, 1110., or GLENSIFALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATIONor new YORK.

cHA'In CONNECTOR.

' n neationnied April 5,1922. serial No. 549,778.

Td-all'hiwm it may concern:

{Be it known that ALeian'r P. GRHIFFIN, fa citizen of the United' tates,residing at ftio'n'. i v This invention relates to chain connectors Ichain connector having the structural. fea- Troy, in "the countyof'Rensselaer and State of New York, have'invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Chain Con nectors, of which the following is aspecificaa nd more particularly to improvements in a tiiresdisclosed inmy'prior Patent No. 1,394,-

Such 'a device is especially intended and applicable for the connectionof the cross chain elements and longitudinal [chain eleor other vehicletires. p,

Theprincipal' objectbf the present invention is. to provide simple andefiective means for 'h olding'ithe parts 'of the connector meats-or skidchains foruse with pneumatic in' operative relation, therebyto maintainthe skid chain elements in operative. assembly, i

when the skid cliainis not in use and its chainelem'erits' "are notunder tenslon and are indiscriminately folded, rolled or'otherwi's pilce d, V Thefcha'in connector arm prior patent consists or a couplinglink having adj acent 'tei minalfhooks' and a keeper journalled insaidfhooksand provided with a recess by means 'whichf the:terrninali'link of a cross chain may be" threadedj upon thefcouplinglink and a link of a longitudinal chain may be threaded linto 'the"hooks. The coupling link and the keeper form ico'mp'anionele- 'ments''and'the keeperfhas a normal operativeposition'in'which it closes thecoupling link and effectively secures the adjacent'links of the crossand longitudinal chains.

I With. the above statedobjec't in View the i present' inveiitionconsists in .the provision tion,

connector, with the keeper in closed 'posi- Figures 8 to 11illustrate'an alternative form; p

Fig. 8 being a perspective view of the chain connector with the keeperin open position,

closed p'osition, and 1 V p Figs. 10 and 11 detail perspective viewsFig; 9 a similar View with the keeper in ofthe coupling linkandthekeeper respectivelyq I Referring to Fi 1 to 7, v

The coupling link 1 is of general U-shape and its'side bars 2"areformedwith aligning'hook terminals 3 between whose ends and said side barsthere are link passages 4. The keeper 5 includes a body portion 6 whichis'fitted between the hooks 3 and is provided with end trunnions .7which are journalledin said hooks. 'The'keeperis formed along one sidewith an open recess Swhich extends to the ends of the trunnions and bymeans of which the terminal link 9 of a cross chain may belthreaded uponthe coupling link, 1 and a link 10 of a side chain may be threaded intothe hooks 3, all'as disclosed and described in my said priorpatent.

The keeper andthe coupling link form companion elements and, accordingto the invention, one of the companion elements is provided with-'a partor parts for cooperation with the other elementfor the purpose of"automatically and effectively holding the keeper in its operativeclosed position as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, preferably withoutpresenting. an obstruction to the orderedmovement of the said keeper toopen position. T f. "In-the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7one, or preferably both, oi"; the

terminal hooks 3 is provided with an inward projection 11 located aboutmidway of the extent of the hook for engagement with l iig. 2 aperspective view of the coupling 55 1 2 I V v Fig. 3 a perspective viewof the chain con- J either wall of the recess 8 as a co-operatingshoulder. In the construction shown and preferred-the body porti onf'fiof the keeper is of enlarged diameter relatively to the trunnions 7 andthe projections 11 are formed as lateral kinks of slight extent for Iengagement with the adjacent walls" of the recess 8 in the body portion6. The side bars 2 of the coupling link are'suitably resilient wherebywhen the keeper is fitted into position the terminal hooks 3 tend'tospring inward towardone another. It 'follows that when the keeper isturned to closed position as shown in Fig. 7 the projections 11 willengage laterally in the recess 18 and will cooperate with. the opposingWalls of said recess as shoulders securely to holdathe keeper in suchclosed position whileat the same time readily! permitting the movementof the keeper to open position when sufficient turning pressure isapplied. a j

The form shownin F gsj. 8 to ll difiers only colorably from the formshown inFigs. l to 7. In the alternative construction the hooks 3 arenot provided with the projections 11 but instead the keeperis providedon one or both of the fiat facesof its body portion with projections 11for a similar purpose and which are preferably rounded.

These projections are locatedsubstantial1y diametricallyvopposite themouth or opening-of the" recess 8 whereby when the keeper is turned toclosed position they will'project laterally into the passages/t and willco-operate with the ends of the" hooks-3 or the adjacent portions of theside-bars 2 as shoulders to secure the keeper, in its closed position. i

1- The provision of means for securing the keeper in itsclosed' positionis not required "Whenthe completeskid chainis inuse since the confinedhar ofthe link 10 ofthetside chain is effective for thispurpose owingtothe bearing of the side achainsyagainst the sides of the tire andlto thetension of the cross chains. However, when the skid chains are removedand arefolded or; rolled 1nd1scriminately for packingor otherwiseindiscriminately placed the confined link of the.

not as desirable as that described since it would require the side bars2 of thevcoupling link to besprung outward manually in order to permitthe keeper to be turned to open position.

Having fully describedmy invention, I 'clai'mz Y a 1., A chain connectorcomprising as companionelements a coupling link having re- ,silientrside bars provided with terminal "hooks and a keeper'journalled in saidhooks and having a recess which, in the open position of said keeper,valigns with the link passage of said hooks, one ofthe companion elementshaving a part force-operation automatically with the other element whenthe keeper is turned to closed position for securing the keeper in suchposition. I i

21 A chain connector comprlsingascompanion elements a coupling linkhaving resilient side bars provided with terminal hooks and a keeperjournalled in said hooks and having a recess providing a link passageand which, in the open position of said keeper, aligns with the linkpassage of said hooks, one of the companion elementshaving aprojectionlfor engagement'automati- .cally in the li'nk passage oftheother element when the keeperais' turned to closed position forsecuring. the keeper in such position.

3. A hain connector comprisingas companion relements, a coupling link"having resilient side bars provided with terminal hooks and a keeper journalled in said hooks and having a recess providingla linkpassage andwhich, in the open position of said keeper, aligns wlth the link passageof-said hooks, one of the companion elements havring a projection forengagement automatically in the link passage of the other ele- 1 Inentwhen the keeperis turned tofclosed .positionfor securing the-keeper insuch position, saidfprojection being so formed as to present noobstruction to theordered (move- ,ment of said keeper to open position,

4.1Achain connector comprising a coupling link lhavingresilient, sidebars provided with terminal ihooks and. a: keeper journalled in saidhooks and having'a recess which in the open position of said keeperaligns with the llinkpassage of said hooks, said keeper having aprojection substantially dlametrically opposite said? recess and which,when the keeper is moved to closed position, automatically engages in.sa-id link passage, thereby to secure the keeper in closed position. I

In, testimony whereof I' affix (my signature.

ALBERT P. GRIFFIN.

